FINAL
Kansas State made things closer than many expected in Norman tonight, but couldn’t quite pull out the win.
The Wildcats fell to the Sooners 42-30, and can point to a 21-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter as the reason why. From that point on, K-State outplayed Oklahoma and looked like the better team.
Daniel Thomas played through a sore shoulder and 129 yards of total offense to go along with a rushing touchdown. Grant Gregory threw for 174 yards. Brandon Banks cuahg nine passes for 156 yards and also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
Landry Jones, though, threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns. Three of them came in the first quarter. Check back later for a full report.
11:18 4th Quarter
Ah, but Brandon Banks has gotten K-State back within one score.
The speedster, who may well be the Big 12’s best return man, just took a 98-yard kickoff return to the end zone. Oklahoma now leads 35-30.
11:32 4th Quarter
K-State couldn’t take advantage of OU facing a 1st-and-45, and the Sooners now lead 35-23.
Ryan Broyles took a 25-yard pass up the right sideline to convert the lengthy first down and Landry Jones hit DeMarco Murray moments later for a 6-yard touchdown.
The Wildcats now trail by two scores again.
End 3rd Quarter
It looked like Oklahoma was going to score a touchdown just before the third quarter ended, but two penalties moved them backward and instead are now facing a 2nd-and-43 from midfield.
If K-State can force a punt to start the fourth quarter, it can take the lead with the ensuing drive.
4:35 3rd Quarter
K-State is doing everything right so far in the second half. Thanks to two big plays on that 75-yaard drive, the Wildcats are within 28-23.
Daniel Thomas ran in a two-yard touchdown to cut into the lead.
The Wildcats are now at 300 yards of total offense. Impressive they are playing so well against the best defense they’ve seen all season.
8:31 3rd Quarter
Kansas State is showing all kinds of grit offensively tonight. The Wildcats just took their opening drive of the second half 80 yards for a touchdown.
Keithen Valentine rushed in the score from 14 yards away. It was his second TD of the game. Daniel Thomas hit Jeron Mastrud with a jump pass on the two-point conversion.
Down only 28-17, this game is suddenly very interesting.
Half
NORMAN, Okla. — The Oklahoma football team has been especially good in the first quarter this season, and that didn’t change tonight against Kansas State.
The Sooners scored three touchdowns in the opening 11 minutes and hold a 28-9 halftime lead over the Wildcats.
By outscoring K-State 21-0 in the first quarter, Oklahoma has now bested its opponents 79-0 in the opening 15 minutes of games this season.
Undoubtedly, that early surge was difficult for K-State players to handle. Oklahoma is not known for blowing big leads. But the Wildcats fought back in the second quarter.
Behind 89 passing yards from senior quarterback Grant Gregory, K-State has pulled to within 19 points.
Gregory has completed five passes for 68 yards to senior wide receiver Brandon Banks. Daniel Thomas has 55 yards rushing and Keithen Valentine scored the Wildcats’ only touchdown from one-yard away with 8:25 remaining in the second quarter.
Josh Cherry added a field goal 1:23 before halftime.
Oklahoma has been lead by 118 yards and three touchdowns from freshman quarterback Landry Jones. He has connected with Ryan Broyles for two touchdowns and Dejuan Miller for the other.
Chris Brown leads the Sooners on the ground with 67 yards. DeMarco Murray has rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown.
The Wildcats get the ball first in the second half.
1:23 2nd Quarter
A Josh Cherry field goal makes the score 28-9.
K-State is moving the ball well right now behind Gregory, Banks and Thomas. Its defense is playing fairly well, too. Since Oklahoma’s three quick scores in the first quarter, K-State has actually outscored the Sooners.
1:35 2nd Quarter
Grant Gregory has Kansas State’s offense moving. He has connected with Brandon Banks for 68 yards already and Daniel Thomas has 55 yards on the ground.
5:37 2nd Quarter
Kansas State forced Oklahoma into a third-and-long on that drive, but couldn’t quite force a punt. Too bad. The Sooners turned that first down into a touchdown and now lead 28-6.
Joshua Moore injured his leg running down Chris Brown on a lengthy rush to save a touchdown.
8:25 2nd Quarter
K-State tight end Jeron Mastrud made a fantastic one-handed catch at the one-yard line to keep that drive going and Keithen Valentine cashed in moments later with a touchdown run.
The Wildcats found success on offense by throwing the ball on that drive. Gregory hit Banks for gains of 25 and 15 yards, Snipes for 12 and Mastrud for nine.
Josh Cherry had his extra point blocked, though, so the score is 21-6.
End of 1st quarter
K-State did itself good at the end of the first quarter by picking up two first downs and holding the ball for almost 5 minutes.
Down 21-0, the next three quarters inevitably will go better.
4:40 1st Quarter
It took Oklahoma a few minutes to score that time, but score it did all the same. The Sooners now lead 21-0 and Ryan Broyles has his second TD catch.
Oklahoma’s first quarter dominance continues.
11:41 1st Quarter
That drive was even quicker.
Landry Jones hit Dejuan Miller for a 23-yard touchdown pass to put OU ahead 14-0. The drive took two plays and lasted 44 seconds. K-State needs a sustained drive here to stop the bleeding.
13:47 1st Quarter
Well, that didn’t take long. Kansas State booted the opening kickoff out of bounds and Oklahoma moved 60 yards in 1 minutes, 13 seconds to go ahead 7-0.
Landry Jones hit Ryan Browles for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Bad start for K-State. Oklahoma’s worst play so far is a run for 7 yards.
Moments before kickoff
Nebraska and Missouri woke up a little today, winning conference games on the road without much trouble. Kansas failed to cover the spread at Texas Tech and Iowa State got stomped at Texas A&M.
We can probably officially move Colorado out of the running for the North at this point.
Everything else will be determined in the coming weeks. Though a K-State win here today would make the Wildcats the unanimous favorites.
20 minutes till kickoff
The key for Kansas State today has to be offense. No matter how good its defense performs, Oklahoma is going to get on the scoreboard.
Some mind-boggling OU stats for you: The Sooners have outscored opponents 58-0 in the first quarter this season. And at home, the Sooners have outscored their opponents 142-7.
30 minutes till kickoff
We’re coming to you live, high above the field in Norman.
Both teams are out there warming up, and Kansas State players seem more laid back than usual. Not sure exactly why that is, but there is a pretty good atmosphere here right now.
Lots of traffic leading up to the stadium and lots of fans already in their seats. K-State fans are well represented in the end zone from what I can see.
Game time weather conditions will be nice with temperatures around 70 degrees and virtually no wind.